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The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor by Larry Frank and Kent Wong

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The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor by Larry Frank and Kent Wong Intense Political Mobilization: The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor by Larry Frank and Kent Wong political regional allegiances.3 Once a stronghold The L.A. County Federation of Labor has of unionized manufacturing, about 500,000 light attracted national attention as a focal point of the manufacturing jobs still remain in L.A. County, new American labor movement. The emergence but in low wage non-union industries such as of Los Angeles as a union city has been an garment and food processing.4 impressive accomplishment, especially in light of its anti-union history. The growth of labor Until the 1980’s, Los Angeles was headquarters power in the political arena, the organizing of to a host of Fortune 500 companies and other new workers, the advancement of progressive major businesses. Their leaders were the public policy, and the forging of labor- oligarchy of the downtown business interests. community alliances, especially with immigrant These companies, such as Hughes, Rockwell, communities, have all contributed to Los Litton, the Atlantic Richfield Company, Security Angeles’s new labor power. Power building in Pacific Bank, Great Western Bank, even the Los Los Angeles combines the sophisticated political Angeles Times, have been subjected to mergers, work of the L.A. County Federation of Labor acquisitions, or closures. The heads of the and the economic development activism fostered remaining entertainment conglomerates, along by its allies. with the major developers of the region, have largely replaced the old oligarchy at the seats of The L.A. Context power. With over ten million residents, Los Angeles Construction, business services, the hospitality County has the largest population of any county industry and retail have all been greatly impacted in the United States. Within its eight hundred by changes in the labor environment as union square miles sprawls the City of Los Angeles, workers were replaced with contracted workers the second largest city in the country with almost who were non-union and foreign born. four million residents. Another eighty-seven Immigrants are currently measured at 36.2 cities are incorporated throughout Los Angeles percent5 of the Los Angeles population, 800,000 County, and one million residents continue to of which are estimated to be undocumented.6 It live in unincorporated areas. The 2000 census is in this context that labor in Los Angeles has reports that 45 percent of the county population reasserted its power over the past ten years. is Latino, 31 percent Anglo other than Latino, 12 percent Asian, and 10 percent Black. 1 The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor A once dominant manufacturing base is now overshadowed by the regional influences of the The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor has entertainment industries, trade-related 345 affiliates representing over 800,000 businesses, and commercial development. members. Its largest affiliates are the 75,000 long Southern California lost its four auto plants, eight term care (homecare and nursing home) workers steel mills and three tire plants largely due to the in SEIU 434B, the 45,000 county workers in national fiscal policies of the early 1980’s.2 Its SEIU 660, the 30,000 teachers in the AFT and powerful aerospace industry did not survive the NEA affiliated United Teachers of Los Angeles ending of the Cold War and the transfer of (UTLA), and the 28,000 members in the various Building Power in Los Angeles -1 - IATSE locals working in the film and television youth arm of the AFL-CIO) and the Social industry. Its Executive Board is composed of Democrats USA, and he embraced their politics. thirty-five members representing key union He was sometimes hostile to progressive forces leadership. It has a Committee on Political within the federation and to progressive Education (C.O.P.E.) with ninety-five voting community leaders. members and over 1300 delegates entitled to participate in its monthly delegates meeting. In addition to the endorsement process and the movement of political contributions, Jim Wood The County Federation also houses a labor focused much of his efforts on development in community services program which provides Los Angeles. Appointed by Mayor Bradley in support for striking and laid-off workers through 1980 to the Community Redevelopment Agency immediate crisis assistance, and major food (CRA), Jim Wood served as its chairman during distributions during holidays or at times of the years that the CRA rebuilt the entire skyline extreme need. Also housed at the County of Los Angeles with the tremendous resources Federation is the research unit, the Center for available through tax increment financing.10 The Regional Employment Strategies (CRES). With vast number of union construction jobs required political, mobilization, research, and for this endeavor strengthened the existing communications departments, the federation has leadership’s hand internally and externally. The a staff of nearly twenty. skyline of downtown Los Angeles remains a testimony to the close relationship between the Tradition of Insider Politics County Federation and the Bradley administration. But this relationship ended when The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor the Bradley Administration ended. was chartered in 1959 when six local AFL central labor councils merged with the countywide CIO Leadership Shifts four years after the national merger between the AFL and the CIO. Under Sig Arywitz, labor The current L.A. Federation leadership came to played a progressive role in Los Angeles through power after the tragic death of Wood from cancer its support of Tom Bradley’s unsuccessful in 1996. Before he died Wood expressed his mayoral run in 1969 and successful follow-up in desire to have Miguel Contreras, who he had 1973.7 Arywitz died soon after Bradley’s hired as COPE director, succeed him11. This election in 1973, and his assistant, Bill Robertson vote, however, marked the L.A. County from the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Federation's first contested election pitting Employees Union, was elected.8 With Bradley Contreras against an Anglo local president. Bill firmly entrenched as mayor for the next twenty Robertson opposed Contreras and was quoted in years, the County Federation of Labor played an the Los Angeles Times as saying, “Contreras is insider political role. not qualified. Period.”12 In spite of opposition from the old guard who had worked with Hired in the early 1980's to direct the work of the Robertson and the racial overtones in the Committee on Political Education (COPE), Jim campaign opposing him, Contreras was elected in Wood replaced Robertson in 1994. Wood was a May 1996, becoming the first person of color to more dynamic and forceful leader than Robertson assume this position. though his politics were seen as more pragmatic or conservative, depending on the observer.9 Contreras‘s history and background were much Wood was formerly active in Frontlash (the different from Jim Wood’s. Contreras came from Building Power in Los Angeles -2 - a family of farm workers in Dinuba, California, other unions. We’ve been getting great and learned organizing and movement politics assistance from the new Laborers’ during his years with the United Farm Workers president—again, new leadership. We have of America. Along with a number of the UFW’s the new commitments from UNITE—again best organizers, Miguel Contreras had been hired there is new leadership in UNITE. And in 1977 by the Hotel Employees and Restaurant locally…[s]ince I’ve been here, we’ve also Employees. Contreras first came to Los Angeles had new leadership from the IATSE. So when he was assigned by the international as many different locals have new leadership in trustee to HERE Local 11, which was undergoing the past five years, and we’ve been able to a transformation of its own. bring them into labor’s structure.13 At HERE Local 11, Miguel Contreras worked Building Political Power closely with María Elena Durazo, who had been elected president in December 1986 as part of an In the past decade, the L.A. County Federation opposition slate to the old guard leadership. of Labor has been transformed from an entity Durazo became the first woman and first person most known for its “checkbook politics” to a of color to assume leadership of the local. Under cutting edge political machine able to elect its her leadership, HERE Local 11 adopted a much own leadership into state and local office and to more progressive agenda and militant tactics. She function as a key participant in regional politics. also helped empower a largely Latino immigrant The Old Model membership that had been disenfranchised by the old administration. Previously, demands to From its inception in 1959, the L.A. County translate the contracts into Spanish or to conduct Federation of Labor played a key role in membership meetings with the help of an financing many Democratic political campaigns. interpreter had fallen on deaf ears. In return for labor’s largesse, the County Federation was seen as a player in the political When asked to reflect on the County arena and was often at the table on key Federation’s successes since his election, Miguel development deals. But labor in Los Angeles offered the following: also paid a price over time for its close relationship with the powers in the Democratic Within a period of a few years, you had new Party and the Bradley administration, as it leadership of the AFL-CIO, new leadership became accustomed to operating largely without of SEIU, new leadership of HERE, as well as a field mobilization capacity. new leadership of the L.A. County Federation of Labor. In locals in Los Angeles, Early Get Out the Vote Work you had new leadership in a lot of unions too.
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